Brave New World -- Third Entry

• How do the protagonists of both Brave New World and 1984 succeed/fail in their goals?

• How does Huxley illuminate the flaws of the society in Brave New World? What was is goal by doing this?
• In what way does the use of soma in Huxley's Brave New World portray society in our world?

Communist Utopia -- Thomas Horung

What about his painting indicates communist (-nism)?
First, there are the dull, uniform, and blocky buildings that characterized the Soviet Union, which was a communist state. Then there is the use of a dull gray and the lack of expressive colors that may represent the restrictions in place of a communist government. There are also many eyes that represent that people are always being watched.

What is the artist's view of communism?
The artists view of communism is that it is monotonous, which is expressed with the dull gray colors used and the limited amount of shades of gray and color that is used. Horung uses the eyes as a symbol for the government; the eyes cover the wall which gives off a startling and uncomfortable feeling. The eyes are also the same shade of blue, the same size (with the exception of adjusting the size for perspective), and have the same unemotional eyes.

Explain the title. 
The title "Communist Utopia" creates an oxymoron for the viewer. Many viewers of the painting would see communism as negative and a dystopia rather than a utopia. However, the painting may represent a utopia through the eyes of a communist in which everything is the same because there is only one thing that is available due to the fact that there is no marketing competition.

Brave New World -- Second Entry

How would a "savage" woman react to the sexuality of One State?
Seeing how John reacts to One State and it's workings, the feminine point of view would be much more reserved. When John sees Lenina on a soma holiday and reaches out to touch her, he didn't "dare to profane [her] with his unworthiest hand," (Huxley 153). This starkly contrasts Lenina's reaction to her want as she shamelessly undressed herself in front of John. In a society where men and women are both equally proactive in their desire, the reservations of the savages are unheard of. Where John, a man, is embarrassed by sexuality, how would a woman even dare to think of desire? When the tables were reversed and John's mother lived by her sexually driven on the reservation, the women "made a scene" for sleeping with her husband (Huxley 130). However, in One State where there doesn't seem to be exclusive relationships. The woman would most likely be mortified at the forwardness of the men and the transparency of relationships. In One State, it isn't that men don't respect women, it's that everybody is available. The savage woman would see the advances of these men first as flattery, but then as disgust. This is due to the fact the John shows the relationship is valued and true emotions are considered rather than sexual gratification.

If one grew up in One State without any class conditioning, how would he/she view One State?
Though all children are conditioned during conception to their caste in One State, what if an egg was overlooked and grew up without the hindrances given to children upon birth (such as oxygen deprivation and alcohol treatment) or hyponoædia? This person would be free of pre-implanted ideas and a free thinker, seeing as the brain was untouched. If this person were to have grown up in One State and only seen One State, the person would most likely see the castes as the way everything is and should be. The castes indeed provide stability and accountability; there is never a question of who does what job. In John, we see his skewed views of One State from the stories his mother told him and his life growing up on a reservation (Huxley 131). However, there is the possibility that as a free thinking individual, the person would question the ethics of a predetermined fate, which would then lead to political instability and turmoil for One State.


What if Linda returned to One State pregnant?
This is a pretty loaded question because it deals with many facets of the One State society. To start with the obvious, John wouldn't been conditioned as a fetus for a certain caste, causing a disruption in the early process of deciding a caste for him. Linda would probably have been subjected to more criticism and embarrassment seeing as how the Director was laughed out of the room and resigned his position (Huxley 159,160). John would most likely be more of an oddity being raised in One State knowing his mother and father, seeing as those words are classified as obscene (159). 

Don't You Want Me - Human League

What's the subject matter?
The subject is a woman leaving a man. The repetition of the lyrics "Don't you want me?" shows the mans desire to be together with the woman again.

What is the difference in the 2 sides of the story?
Man: He changed her life for the better. This is reflected in the lyrics "When I met you I picked you out. I shook you up and turned you around, turned you into someone new" and "... Don't forget it's me who put you where you are now and I can put you back down too". The first set of lyrics describe how he had changed her while in the second he boasts that he was the one who contributed to her success.
Woman: She could have found a better life without him. This is reflected in the lyrics "But even then I knew I'd find a much better place either with or without you". Her side of the story tells of how she would have and could have been successful without meeting him and dating him.

Who do you side with?
I side with the woman. This is because the man seems very cocky and self-absorbed with his reasoning while begging her to stay with him. Also, one could hardly determine the success of the woman rested solely on the man's help and whether or not she could have been successful without him. The woman goes on to say that the time that they've been together were great and she still loves him, but she needs to "life [her] life on [her] own". This shows that the man was very dominant in her life and she feels the need to become more independent and find herself, so the breakup wasn't ill intended.

Brave New World -- First Entry

The society of Brave New World went to great lengths to create equality and conformity starting at birth. Eggs are split to create dozens of twins and the castes are established by deprivation of oxygen and exposure to alcohol while as a fetus. Once the children grow older, they are required to wear their caste colors as shown in the quote "Alpha children wear grey. ... [Gammas] all wear green, and Delta children wear khaki," (Huxley 40).
By eliminating religion, literature, and art, the society of Brave New World thereby eliminated conflict. Huxley writes that "his fordship" Mustapha Mond has in his possession forbidden books, such as bibles and poetry (48).  The D.H.C. shows alarm when Mond begins to talk to his students knowing that Mond has forbidden books, showing the caliber of danger than knowledge possess.
The use of a drug named soma creates happiness for the people. Using soma is accepted and encouraged; it creates a sense of relaxation and content for the user. Happiness is also created by many abundant leisure activities that the people may contend in. The society of Brave New World even views sexual activity as leisurely and encourages participating in erotic play at a young age (44).
Although to us this seems quite dystopia, its more of a utopia for the people in the book. Everyone is happy in their own station of life and there is little conflict about the social order. Only a few people, such as Bernard, are shown as flaws by the birthing process mentioned in the first chapter of the book.

Ethnography

What are the benefits of each perspective? Is one perspective better than the other?
Emic - creates cultural perspective and insight
Etic - creates a scientific view
Though both carry benefits, I think that the emic perspective is better than etic because it creates an better understanding of "how" and "why" of cultural differences.


Write a brief explanation for why these rules exist.

As an ethnographer, you must

• realize objectivity is impossible. Instead of trying to be objective, acknowledge your biases in your research.
• have an informant from the group you're studying.
• be up-front about your intentions; let your subjects know what you're studying and why.

1. By acknowledging bias, it creates more of a level field of understanding for the reader of the observations.

2. Having an informant helps along the cultural understanding.

3. By informing the group, the ethnographer creates more trust and diminishes the amount of confusion that the group may contrive. 

Rain on the Scarecrow

What is this song about?

It is about a man who lost his farm land.

What are some conflicts this song might address?

Farmers v. Government

Make a claim about his use of imagery/symbolism.

He is a farmer.

Make a claim about his use of word choice.

His word choice carries a very negative connotation, thus carrying a negative and depressing tone throughout the song.

Who does he seem to favor? Support.

He supports the farming community. In the song, he writes "I grew up like my daddy did My grandpa cleared this land."

Reading Excerpts

What is the tone? What words create the tone?
P1) The tone is wonderment. "savage and superb, wild-eyed and magnificent", "uncontrollable desire", "eyes gleamed" create the tone.
P2) The tone is amazement. "wild vitality, an intense energy of movement" create the tone.
P3) The tone is disgust. "black rags were wound round their loins and the short ends behind waggled to and fro like tails",  "death like indifference of unhappy savages" create the tone.
P4) The tone is horror struck. "intolerable and appalling","phantom brother", "[the natives] went on all fours" create the tone.

What is the tone of paragraph 4? How does it change? Why does the narrator mention the white man so close to this description of the natives?
The tone of the fourth paragraph changes from horror struck to respectful. After depicting the natives as insufferable animals, the narrator writes of a white man with a starched collar, making a distinct shift in tone as well as description. The narrator probably mentioned the white man so close to the description of the natives in order to show the superiority of white men to natives.

Why would the west manufacture othering?
By manufacturing "othering", it creates a sense of unity by sharing similar beliefs. This then strengthens the community as well as making them feel superior.

1984 -- Reading Blog 3

Big Brother has won in the sense of Winston's destroyed psyche, however, not rightfully so. Armed with Winston's intense fear of rats, O'Brien is able to utterly destroy Winston. O'Brien says "All the confessions are true. We make them true," showing Big Brother's manipulation (254). Of course, Big Brother wins in the sense of being able to eliminate enemies, but he is unable to claim complete victory because confessions are falsified. Instead, the Party slowly brainwashes Winston through an intricate process that O'Brien describes to Winston. They "convert [the heretic], ... capture his inner mind,... reshape him. [They] burn all evil and all illusion out of him; [they] bring him over to [their] side, not in appearance, but genuinely, heart and soul. [They] make him one of [themselves] before [they] kill him," (255). This long winded process ending only with the death of the heretic shows the Party's fear of opposition. The Party refuses to accept submission, but would rather kill a person of free will in order to assert their power and greatness.
As Winston believed, One State could be brought down through the Proles. The Proles have the luxury of being seen as almost inhuman to the Party, so if they were to unitedly stand up against the Party, the Party would be unable to stop it at the roots because of the lack of concentration on the Proles.
I think that at the end of the novel, Winston was brainwashed through O'Brien's detailed plan as aforementioned. "[Winston] was in the public dock, confessing everything, implicating everybody. He was walking down the white-tiled corridor, with the feeling of walking in sunlight, and an armed guard at his back. The long-hoped-for-bullet was entering his brain," (297). O'Brien had said that the Party wants heretics to willingly turn themselves in, even begging to be killed. Going even further, I believe that Winston's dream of confessing and dying would have happened in the near future of the novel.

Love Language

1. Assumptions:

• The girl doesn't want to talk to the guy.
• She will end up liking him.

2. The two cultures represented in the film are those who are deaf (the girl) and those that are able to hear (the guy).

3. The external conflict is that the girl isn't able to hear what the guy is saying. 

4. The internal conflict is that the girl's decision of whether or not to tell the guy that she is deaf.

5. The external conflict is solved by the two communicating through writing on Post-It notes instead of talking. The internal conflict is solved by the girl showing the guy that she is deaf by letting him listen to her "special song", which there wasn't one. 

"This Land is Your Land" by Woodie Guthrie

The message of the song is very individualist because of the repetition of the singular nouns "you","I", and "me". This emphasizes individuals rather than a collective whole.

This is an anti-government song because Guthrie sings of how "nobody can stop [him]" when encountering a "No Trespassing" sign; instead he says the back where there are no instructions "was made for you and me".

The Egg Reading Questions

1. Before he married, the narrators father was content with his life and lifestyle. After, the narrators mother pushed his father to be more ambitious which resulted in stress.
2.The narrator views chickens negatively because he grew up on a chicken farm and witnessed the death of many chickens. The chickens also represent broken and lost ambitions.
3.He claims to have trouble being happy because he saw all those chickens dying. In my opinion, he is more of a realist than a cynic, though.
4.The role of the fathers collection of "grotesques" was to represent how initial ambitions can become horribly deformed.
5.After going into the restaurant business, the father became much more ambitious.
6. "The complete and final triumph of the egg" means that there will always be disappointment in life.

American Friendship

Americans are perceived this way because American are not as dependent on one another like in different countries whereas a friendship requires it. American value independence and don't usually accept help; if they do, they would first try other methods before asking. Americans also often turn towards outsiders, such as therapists and self help books (as told by the article), and not their friends.

1984 -- Reading Blog 2

Winston is have trouble buying into what Big Brother and the State are selling because he began thinking logically more. This began with his purchase of the diary and writing his thoughts into it. Through this, he realizes that the government lies in order to stay in control and this makes him question the validity of many things. Winston's small acts of defiance are a form of protest, because it's the objection to what the government wants. In this case, the "want" is complete control over thoughts. Acts of rebellion in the United States, such as the Tea Party Movement, Occupy Wall Street, etc. are similar to Winston's rebellion in the sense that the protesters and going against what used to be the norm and standing up for what they believe in. However, protesting in the US is a right protected by the 1st Amendment and the masses either see protesters as visionaries or lunatics. In the Orwellian society, the freedom of speech is forbidden and punishable by death.

"2+2=5" by Radiohead

Lyrically, the song is talking about being subordinate and turning a blind eye. By doing this, the oppressor can take control. Once the singer tried to rise up against the oppression it became too late.

The music helps mirror and push the message through the tempo as well as the instrumentals. At the beginning, the music was slow and the singing was blurred, describing the oppression. As he lyrically begins to rise up against the oppressor, the tempo picks up and the singing becomes angrier.

The title is an allusion to the novel 1984 by George Orwell because Winston, the main character writes that Big Brother could say that 2+2=5 and one would inevitably believe it which relates to the song in the sense that the artist writes of oppression and submission the the oppression as well as rivaling the oppressor.

Yale University: Islam, Globalization and Gender

The conflict of the headscarf (hijab) in the Islamic culture is an external conflict.

Globalization creates conflicts by different cultures opposing views and different beliefs and customs. When the speaker says that globalization has only flown one direction, she means that the western culture has had a larger influence in the east than vice versa.

Though she feels that globalization has been one sided, the speaker also believes that there has been benefits of it, namely role models for women and ideas of women. She names several prominent American women, such as Sandra Day O'Connor and Oprah as positive role models.

The two sources that the speaker says Muslims and Westerners live by/are obligated to is the Qur'an and the Constitution respectively.

1984 -- Reading Blog 1

In 1984, George Orwell created equality/conformity by creating a fictitious government that regulates the people through their minds. The people in 1984 are carefully watched by telescreens and the Thought Police in order for the government to remain in control of their thoughts. The people blindly listen to Big Brother and accept that whatever he says is that truth. The government also instituted Two Minutes Hate, which all of Oceania participates in, to emphasis that Goldstein is the enemy.

The government reduced conflict in regards to religion by practically eliminating it all together; religion is only practiced by the proles who are synonymous to animals. Relationships are arranged by the government, thus eliminating conflict. Sexual desire in a relationship is also frowned upon and this is further emphasized by the Junior Anti-Sex League who preaches celibacy. Winston's former partner Katherine is a prime example of the repression of relationship, claiming that the two should have a child as their duty to the party. The government reduced conflict in regards to individual rights by discouraging opinions and praising ignorance. In fact, a Party slogan is "Ignorance is Strength".

The Party creates a forced happiness/conformity by altering the truth and destroying the past. Winston works in the Minitru in the department that rewrites history in order to reflect a better life. A prime example is the chocolate ration of the people. In the beginning of the book, the ration is reduced by 10 grams, but soon Minitru rewrites the statement as increased to 20%. The people of Oceania blindly accept this as the truth and are grateful of the "increase" in the chocolate ration.

Orwell creates an example of a dystopia through his novel 1984. To the sheep that follow the herd, life may seem fine and handy, but the intellectuals of the society capable individual thought see the society as truly dystopic. The society is made of lies, with history rewritten to reflect only Big Brothers' beliefs and history. Those that voice their opinion are hung and written to look like villains of the Party. In a world where "War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength" everything is contradictory and untrue. As humans, we constantly seek improvement and encourage intellectual thinking, unlike the society in 1984. 

Utopia

A utopia is an idealistically perfect world.

My ideal world would be a place where violence never occurs because violence brings terror and terror causes anxiety, pain, and anguish. In my opinion, an ideal world wouldn't have that so that everyone would be happy.

The type of music that would be the soundtrack of my utopia would be upbeat music as well as calm, serene music.

Chuck Baird Paintings

The authors voice emphasizes a communication by painting hands and mouths.

A culture within these paintings is deaf people.

A claim about this culture based on the painting is that deaf people value the importance of communication.

Built to Spill - "You Were Right"

Make an inference about the lyrical content of the song and explain it.
This is a post-breakup song. The lyrics all point to the end of a relationship. For instance, the singer writes "You were right when you said this was the end," as well as "You were wrong when you said everything's gonna be alright."

Write one analytic statement about the musical content of the song and explain it.
The musical content is much like a punk/pop ballad. The band uses instruments characteristically used in the genre, such as electric guitars, drums, etc. There is also a featured guitar solo that is often found in this genre. This is also much like a ballad because it is a sentimental song, describing a story in short stanzas. However, ballads usually have a slow tempo, unlike the punk/pop genre, which usually has a faster tempo.

Make one evaluative statement about the songs overall effectiveness and support it. 
The song isn't very effective due to the conflicting lyrical and musical content. As stated before in the previous paragraphs, though the lyrical content is more melancholy and sad, the fast paced music destroys the feel. This leaves the listener wondering what the single effect and purpose of the song was.

Bo Bartlett -- "Young Life"

Three claims with supporting facts
1. Claim: The young man shot the deer.  Fact: He is holding the rifle and the deer is on the truck.
2. Claim: The woman is the man's significant other. Fact: She is intimately hugging him.
3. Claim: The boy aspires to be like the young man. Fact: The boy is holding a large stick like the rifle the young man is holding. The boy also has a similar facial expression and stance as the young man.

It is evident in the painting that the young boy aspires to be like the young man also depicted in the painting. The boy is holding a large stick, much like how the man is holding a rifle. The two also have similar facial expressions in the painting, showing the cliche "imitation is the most sincere form of flattery." The boy also stands further away from the man and the woman, which depicts his desire to be independent and make a name for himself.

"Shame" -- Avett Brothers

The subject of the song is of a lost love. The tone is melancholy and regretful.

Three words that push the tone are "overwhelming", "boatloads", and "lift".
Both "overwhelming" and "boatloads" describe the amount of shame that he feels. "Overwhelming" also carries the tone of being unable to control what happened. "Lift" shows how the amount of shame is unbearable and a burden that the singer carries.

Voice

In your opinion, what is voice in literature?

Voice is literature is how somebody chooses to write, such as with word choice, tone, syntax, etc.

How does a person create voice when writing? Is creating voice an intentional/unintentional act? Is it both? Explain.

A person can create voice by choosing certain word, the sentence structure of the sentences, and the approach of a topic. Creating voice is both intentional and intentional because a writer may unconsciously choose to write how he or she speaks. However, if the chooses to write in a different voice, such as in Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, it is an intentional act.

People in Eastern Kentucky talk around a subject. According to the speaker, why do they do this? What can we learn about a writer from the way she approaches/handles a topic?

They do this because it is culture. We are able to learn the upbringing and background of a writer the way he/she approaches or handles a topic.

Whether it is in fiction or nonfiction, why is voice important in writing?

It is important because it gives the writing a deeper meaning as well as character. 

 

SOAPStone of Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out

Subject

               The subject of Dave Barry’s Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out is the difference between men and women’s values. These different beliefs are illustrated by various anecdotes that Barry writes of, such as when he cleans his son’s bathroom as well as when he and his wife go to a friend’s house to chat during a World Series game. When Barry cleaned his son’s bathroom, his wife doesn’t realize that he had cleaned it and asked him to clean the bathroom a second time, showing a woman’s emphasis of cleanliness. One of Barry’s female friends had invited the couple to chat whilst the World Series was on, not understanding the prominence of sports in a male’s life versus the desire to socialize and chat.

Occasion

               Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out was written during 1988. The essay’s time of creation is displayed by an introduction before the essay begins; without the introduction, it would be more difficult to distinguish a time period that it was written. The probable place of the essay’s creation is unknown because there are no details within the essay that would provide enough for a reasonable inference. Barry makes no reference to where he may be writing the piece.

               The time and place of the essay’s creation influence the essay by what men and women see as important to themselves. The women in the late 80’s, and still today, value the cleanliness of where their children play and bathe. Baseball was also more of a prominent sport in the late 80’s, thus the importance of a World Series game for a male.

Audience

               Dave Barry’s specific audience for Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out was most likely married, middle-aged men. The author’s target audience is exhibited by the sarcasm towards women and the male understanding of differences between the genders. The writes of the “look” his wife perfected when Barry had dressed his son for school. When he had cleaned the bathroom, he simply took what he referred to as Standard Male Cleaning Implements, which all males would be able to relate to, whereas women would most likely take an arsenal of cleaning supplies.

               Dave Barry’s general audience would be for both males and females who are able to relate to differences between the sexes. The author’s general audience is expressed by the he writes of both genders. Barry doesn’t expressly emphasis favor for one gender, but rather he explored both sides of the gender argument in a way that only points out differences between the genders.

Purpose

               Dave Barry’s purpose in Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out is to entertain the reader. Entertainment of the reader is illustrated by his light-hearted, sarcastic, satirical tone with “…we males could not focus our attention on the various suggested topics because we could actually feel the World Series television and radio broadcast rays zinging through the air...” This quote reflects the importance of the World Series through hyperbole and sarcasm.

Speaker

               Dave Barry, who has also written comedic novels, believes that even though men and women differ, a compromise can be made. This compromise is illustrated by how in the end, the men were able to watch the World Series. Compromises being able to be made between opposite sexes by his explanation of how the men were able to watch the World Series with “Soon all four of us [the males at the dinner party] were in there, watching the Annual Fall Classic, while the women prattled away about human relationships or something.” This quote shows that the men had sat and talked with the women, but soon moved on to more important matters, like watching baseball.

               Dave Barry’s use of irony is evident in the quote: “She is in there looking at the very walls I just Windexed, and she is seeing dirt! Everywhere!” This quote provides a sarcastic tone, as well as a dubious one, that would make the reader chuckle and somehow relate it back to their life. This ultimately would make the essay more enjoyable for the reader, thus more entertaining.

Tone

               Dave Barry shows sarcastic and light-hearted attitude about the differences between men and women in Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out. These attitudes are expressed by his use of italicized words, such as in the previous quote, that emphasis certain words created a sarcastic tone.  A light-hearted attitude is expressed when he writes of how the men of Pompeii supposedly didn’t notice that ash was covering the city until half of the children were covered. His tone is effective in the essay because this way he offends neither gender and it allows him to approach the subject less delicately. 

Eleanor Rigby: Metal v. Classic

I like the original better because it is a lot more calm whereas metal version gives a sense of urgency and panic. In the original, you can also distinctly hear all of the the lyrics. Also, out of personal taste, I don't like the heavy metal sound.

The original is also more pleasing to listen to. This is because it shows the Beatles mastery of craft as well as being easy to listen to. The metal version was merely a cover with some added instrumentals. The original is also easier to listen to because the lyrics are distinguishable. 

Polluck v. Kandinsky

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24239301@N03/3011389345/lightbox/
http://www.artofthefuture.com/Gallery1.html

I like the Kandinsky better because of the variety of color used and the brightness of the colors. His painting also seems to have a subject because he had painted geometric shapes that specifically caught your eye. It's also more exciting to look at.

Although I like the Kandinsky better, I think that the Pollack is more pleasing to look at. Compared the the business and brightness of the Kandinksy, the Pollack uses neutral colors and fluid lines. These elements give the Pollack more of a calm feeling when looking at it.

The Single Effect - Sign Language Short Film

What single effect did you get from this short film?

Hopeful

Give 3 specific things that led you to that single effect.

The soft acoustic music, the actor's way of presenting the character's personality, matching rainbow gloves (costume)

If you could change one aspect what would it be and how would it affect the films single effect?

If you changed the actor's personality it would change the hopeful feeling because the personality of the character is awkwardly optimistic and positive about everything. 

"Good Old Desk" -- Harry Nilsson

SOAPSTone 
Subject - His desk God
Occasion - 1973
Audience - Those who liked his genre of music
Purpose - To talk about dependability; proselytizing
Speaker - Speaking of trust
Tone - loving, comforting

What is he talking about?
At first, it seems like Nilsson is talking about the dependability of his good old desk and maybe comparing it to something that he doesn't usually receive from people. Later, one would find that he is comparing his good old desk to God and the dependability and sturdiness that Nilsson finds in God.

Representation of God:
- "To keep my hopes alive"
- "No place to go, always there"
- "It's the friend I've got, a giant of all times"

SOAPSTone of "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell

Subject

             The subject of George Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant is of himself as a young British officer being pressured into shooting an elephant. He being pressured was illustrated by the large crowd of native Burmese people waiting for the action to occur. Although he tries to persuade himself that the elephant is worth more alive, the owner would be unhappy, and he would be going against his personal wishes, the anxious crowd pushes him to kill the elephant.

Occasion

             Shooting an Elephant was written during 1936, when Burma was still an Indian province, but the essay’s setting was when Burma was still under British rule. The essay’s time of creation is conveyed by his occupation, a British officer. It is also is shown through his words, such as when he says “I was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British,” and when he mentions the falling of the British Empire; the narrator also speaks of the British Raj. The probable place of the essay’s creation is in Moulmein, in Lower Burma. This is because the narrator begins by stating that that is where lived and worked. He also states that he had to speak and interact with the Burmese people.

The time and place of the essay’s creation influence the essay by how the narrator saw the Burmese people. He had despised the Burmese, calling them yellow faced, because at that time, the Burmese reciprocally hated the British. The native Burmese would scorn Europeans and the British thought themselves to be better than the Burmese. This mutual disgust is shown clearly in the text when the author describes his experiences with the natives and shapes the story in the way that it is told and the actions that result from it.   

Audience

               George Orwell’s specific audience for Shooting an Elephant is the more educated Englishman. The author’s target audience is revealed by his refined vocabulary choice, his tone, and his dissuasion of imperialism. Orwell uses vocabulary, such as “in saecula saeculorum”, that the average person may not understand. The tone is also directed towards a person of a similar class which is shown through a friendly feel; because he is a British officer, we could assume that the class is higher. It also pertains to the English people because it is about the perils of British Imperialism and is trying to dissuade against it.

               The author’s general audience for the essay is for those who are imperialists and practice Imperialism. The author’s general audience is shown by the narrator saying how he is caught between the hatred of his Empire and the hatred of the native’s hatred towards him. The narrator says that as a leader, he wore a mask that he had grown into because the natives had urged him to kill the elephant. This reveals the general audience because it is more adaptable to other nations and imperialists with the idea of that the imperialist would mold into what the natives urged him to become.

 Purpose

               George Orwell’s purpose in Shooting an Elephant is to show how even though something may be legally acceptable, it may not be personally morally or ethically acceptable. This is revealed when he said that “… at that distance, peacefully eating, the elephant looked no more dangerous than a cow. [He] thought that then and [he] think[s] now that [the elephant’s] attack of ‘must’ [had] pass[ed] off”. This had shown his moral ethics and part of his reasoning to not shoot the elephant. The purpose is further revealed by how he had still went ahead and used the “magical rifle”, shot the elephant, and “legally [he] had done the right thing”. 

Speaker

               George Orwell, born Eric Arthur Blair, believes that imperialism isn’t beneficial for both parties involved. This value is illustrated by the quote “He wears a mask, and his face grows to fit it.” This was preceded by him saying that the white man was spending his life trying to impress the native people that he so despised for hating him. This was also a swipe at the British Empire’s use of imperialism to colonize the Burmese. The quote shows that those that would try to colonize natives would slowly try to impress the natives in order to counter the natives’ hatred of those that tried to colonize. He also said that “imperialism was an evil thing and the sooner [he] chucked up [his job] and got out of it the better.”

               Orwell’s use of imagery is evident in the essay when he describes the elephants’ slow and painful death. Orwell carefully accounts how each of his shots impacted the elephant; from the first shot altered all the lines in the elephant’s body, the third shot bringing the elephant down to its knees, and the following shots down its throat. This demonstrated his need to effectively kill the elephant in order to appease the natives and in order to assert his dominance. The imagery enhanced his effectiveness by giving the reader a clear picture of his calculated and thought out shots that went against his personal moral ethics.

Tone

               George Orwell shows an informative and friendly tone attitude about his experience of shooting an elephant in Shooting an Elephant. These attitudes are expressed by his storytelling voice of writing. He blatantly tells the audience what he feels, such as when he tells of how guilty he feels when prisoners are being flogged or his anger towards the young Buddhist priests that “jeer at  Europeans” all day long. His tone persuades us to believe that it was not completely his personal decision to shoot the elephant, but rather to need to uphold his position. After he initially shot the elephant and saw it suffering, he tried shooting its heart through its throat with no avail. His initial truthfulness and sincerity leads us to believe that he truly did regret shooting the elephant. 

"The Runaway" -- Norman Rockwell

During 1950s, the United States had many changes that affected everyday Americans. The fear of communism infiltrated the government as well as the people. The women's rights movement had slowly begun  to take shape. But, even though all this was happening, the 50s also featured the atomic family: a stay at home wife, a hard working husband, a son, and a daughter. This picture perfect family was always depicted as happy and content with life. Materialism and consumerism was also at a  high peak in history, for instance, everybody wanted a nice, big house in the suburbs to achieve the goal of creating an atomic family. Rockwell's "The Runaway" depicted a rising counter culture within the 50s through the perfection that it wanted to achieve. His painting shows that Americans were content in the way life was and oblivious to the way life is.

"Across the Universe" -- The Beatles

Three images in this song:

"Words flying into paper cups"

"Pools of sorrow" 

"Images of broken light"

Symbolism in context?

The image "Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup" can symbolize never ending thoughts, so many that the singer is unable to contain all of them within him. 

Symbol that's a symbol?

Light is a symbol that shows up in all art forms time and time again. Light is more than just an image because it has traditionally carried so many connotations and it is something that everybody is able to identify and understand. It is usually used to symbolize all things good and happy. 

"Inspiration Information" -- Shuggie Otis (1974)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBacdFSCydo&feature=related

In my opinion, the overall feel of this song is carefree and "funky". The musical element that puts of that vibe is synthesizer, the syncopation of the rhythm, the bass, and his singing style. In order to get this feel, his singing style didn't use too much annunciation, which flowed the words together and gave it some of the funky feel. There was also a chorus that backed him up that was softer and toned down his singing. The bass was also very prevalent, as was the syncopation, which was the funky/groovy style in the 1970s. The synthesizer was also a common instrument that was used during the 70s that characteristically gave the funky feel to a song.

SOAPSTone of "Semeadores" by Diego Rivera

Subject - The workers
Occasion - During the Mexican Revolution
Audience - The working class; common people
Purpose - To illustrate the the working class
Speaker - Believes in hard work
Tone - Neutral to negative

The meaning of Semeadores is to show the hardships that the Mexican people had to endure. This is shown by one of the workers hunched over digging with a firm grip on the shovel. Both workers are very dark in skin tone, implying that they have worked in the sun a lot. They are also faceless, showing that they could possibly represent anybody. The feet of the workers are also sunken into the ground, which may symbolize how they are "chained" to their work.

Creative Writing Process

Wilco's approach to creating a song is they first have an idea of the "bare bones" version of the song and then they deconstruct it. After they deconstruct it, they add in music that feels right for the song.

For my creative process of writing, I first brainstorm what I want to write about and create a list of everything I brainstorm. Once I choose my topic, I would create an outline of main ideas and supportive details that I would use in the piece. After I finish writing, I would go back and proofread it. Then I would wait a couple days and go back and make more changes to the piece; I also might have someone else read it and give me constructive criticism. I would then go back and edit it again and make finishing touches on it.